NYT under fire for calling flydubai stabbing an altercation, hits back at critics

The New York Times described the cockpit attack on the Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight as an altercation and later defended that wording. The framing drew backlash online as more serious allegations about the co-pilot emerged.The NYT described the cockpit attack on the Dubai-Tel Aviv flydubai flight as an altercation. (Reuters photo)The New York Times has faced massive backlash over its initial description of the cockpit stabbing attack aboard the flydubai Tel Aviv-bound flight as an “altercation” between the pilot and co-pilot, with the newspaper later defending its coverage by saying it would publish only information it could verify.Amid the backlash, the Times defended its reporting in a post on X, saying its headlines and live coverage reflected the facts it had been able to confirm at the time."Our headlines and live coverage contain all the facts we're able to confirm as we confirm them. Unlike activists and partisans, we don't publish speculation or unverified information,” it said in a post on X.The controversy erupted after the Times reported that flydubai Flight FZ1073, travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv and carrying 174 people, had been diverted to Tabuk in Saudi Arabia following a confrontation between the two pilots. In its initial report, the Times, citing three officials speaking on the condition of anonymity, said “the pilot who they believed had carried out the aggression was a citizen of Oman.”“The Omani Foreign Ministry declined to immediately comment," it added. The Times also noted that a spokesperson for FlyDubai initially said “only that an altercation broke out and that crew members who were on duty secured the aircraft.”The wording, however, drew sharp criticism online as details emerged that the co-pilot had stabbed the Captain and attempted to interfere with the aircraft's controls.Critics argued that describing the episode as an “altercation” understated the seriousness of what was being reported.“Anything that happens to Israelis, the NYT downplays. Anything that happens to Palestinians they exaggerate and then issue a correction,” Israeli-American student activist Eyal Yakoby posted on X.The Times responded directly to Yakoby’s tweet with its gift link message.Meanwhile, Indian-origin Republican lawyer and consultant Mehek Cooke accused the newspaper of applying a double standard when reporting incidents involving Israelis.“The double standard for Israel has never been more blatant. A pilot allegedly stabbed the captain and tried to crash a plane full of Israelis. The New York Times: an ‘altercation.’ Amazing how quickly suspected terrorism gets sanitized when Israelis are the target," she tweeted.The controversy intensified as further accounts of the incident emerged.- Ends